The 920 did pretty well in our testing, mostly thanks to the 512 MB of memory Gateway included. On our IOMeter tests, the Gateway didn't perform as well as the SCSI system, but that was expected. When it came to serving Web pages, however, the 920 shone, placing No. 1 in our Spirent tests. All in all, a decent performer.
The software story on the 920 isn't quite as good. Gateway is still trying its hand at the server game, and the DOS-based system-restore software on the Server Companion CD is a bit crude. However, to be fair, it did the job: We were able to install Windows 2000 Server without much trouble. Other utilities, including the ones to keep the hardware drivers up to date and manage the server, did the job but likewise could use some polish.
The Gateway 920 comes with a one-year on-site warranty that can be upgraded to three years, next-business-day on-site for $149.
Gateway 920, $897. Gateway, (800) 221 9616. www.gateway.com
We initially had a hard time with the IBM eServer xSeries 205. Our review machine came in DOA. The replacement for the original came in DOA. IBM even sent its local CE to the lab to take a look, as if we couldn't diagnose "it doesn't POST." We sent them both back, and it turns out that both machines had bad CPUs.
To be honest, CPU failure was the last problem that IBM or we expected. Intel CPUs simply don't fail often. After speaking with IBM engineers, we are confident that this situation was an anomaly. We even pumped the CE (whom we know from past job lives) for problems he's experienced with this model. He said he has seen nothing to indicate a pattern of failure.